1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for mounting a series of interconnected decorative panels onto the outer surface of a building. The system includes adjacent supporting means attached to the building outer surface. A first male flange is attached to the first end of the supporting means, while a second female flange is attached to the second end of the supporting means. An intermediate connector attaches a panel gripping means holding a panel to each flange. These panels are interconnected in series by coupling the male flange to the female flange.
2. The Prior Art
A known wall covering for the outside of a building is the product "Alucobond". This product is a composite aluminum panel composed of a aluminum face, a polyethylene core and an aluminum back, creating a "sandwich" effect. At the time this product was made and was being introduced into this country, there were no fastening devices to install this product. It was based on the installer's ingenuity to devise a way to erect the product and make it appear acceptable.
It is known to build exterior sections and panels for buildings at the plant and then ship the pre-finished sections to the job site. These sections were installed like a jigsaw puzzle, and caulking was required at the joints to create a watertight interface between the panels. As a result of expansion and contraction fluctuations over a period of time, the caulking would become fatigued causing it to rupture, thus destroying the watertight seal. In addition, all prior art systems had a single gasket which meant if there were a fluctuation of postive and negative pressures, due to wind or due to thermal expansion or contraction, rain water during a storm could penetrate the panels and cause damage thereto.